Owls' Taylor makes All-Nicklaus team

First WWU golfer to earn honor

William Woods University men’s golfer Julian Taylor has been selected to the 2014 All-Nicklaus team, the first player in the program’s history to receive the prestigious honor.

The team — created in 2008 and named after Jack Nicklaus, the sport’s most successful player — recognizes standout competitors from NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and NJCAA for their outstanding play during the past collegiate season. Nicklaus, who won 18 major titles in the PGA, also captured a pair of U.S. Amateur championships and was an NCAA and Big Ten champion at the Ohio State University.

Taylor — a York, England, native — capped off his junior season with the Owls by finishing 12th at the NAIA national championships in May. He won six tournaments and compiled an average score of 71.60 in 25 rounds. He is a three-time, first-team NAIA All-American, a three-time American Midwest Conference player of the year and winner of the 2012 Phil Mickelson Award, presented to the top freshman in the country.

Taylor is also an exemplary student-athlete, having been named to the CoSIDA All-American team the past two years while also being chosen as an NAIA Scholar-Athlete this past season.

“Julian is clearly one of the top players in college golf …,” William Woods head coach Barry Doty said. “He finished runner-up in the NAIA for the Golfstat Cup, after earning top honors a year ago, while also finishing the year ranked fourth in all of college golf with a final round stroke of 69.73.

“… Julian holds all career and single-season records at William Woods and is certainly deserving of all accolades.”